Duduzane Zuma, the son of scandal-plagued former South African president Jacob Zuma, will face charges relating to allegations of corruption, his lawyer said yesterday.

Duduzane Zuma was returning to South Africa to attend his brother's funeral when he was detained briefly at Johannesburg's main airport on Friday in relation to a corruption case filed in 2016.

Zuma is expected to appear in the Johannesburg Specialised Crimes Court today, his lawyer Rudi Krause said, but was unable to give details on what the exact charges were.

"I suspect it has to do with the allegations made by Mcebisi Jonas," said Krause.

Deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas said in 2016 the Guptas offered him the position of finance minister shortly before former president Zuma sacked then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene, in December, a move that sent markets into a tailspin.

Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing.

Former president Zuma, 76, faces charges of fraud, racketeering and money laundering relating to a $2.5 billion arms deal in the late 1990s, which he denies.